Big Stick Logjam: Vintage boards beckon surfers

One of the world's longest-running classic longboard contests, simply known as the Big Stick Logjam, will shore up at Pleasure Point this weekend.

This year, more than 100 amateur surfers from California and beyond will try their skill at navigating the waters atop long, heavy pre-1970s surfboards. As in their heyday, the behemouths -- engraved with names like Noll, Yater, Hansen, Bing, Rick and Weber -- will be ridden leashless, of course.

This year the amateurs will be joined by three-time world longboard champion Rusty Keaulana and fellow professional big wave riders Micah Nickens and Keoni Watson, all of Hawaii. The pro surfers were brought in as part of the Primo Island Lager "Bruddah" tour, which will make the Logjam its first stop.

Proceeds from the Logjam will benefit the Santa Cruz Surf Museum, Big Stick High School Scholarship Fund, Ride-A-Wave, and the Surfrider Foundation.

"We hope to surpass the $5,500 that we raised for local charities in last year's Logjam," said Big Stick Surfing Association President Kackie Cohen.

Despite hassles of competing on the vintage boards, the Logjam often features dramatic showdowns in the finals. Local talent goes up against highly regarded visitors for an exciting show of hang-10s, drop-knee cutbacks, barrel rides and floaters in a display of high-level classic longboard surfing. The only thing at stake bragging rights for the coming year.